Nail manufacturing machine

ABSTRACT

A nail manufacturing machine includes two cutting tools movable to cut a wire into a nail blank, a sorting member having a channel for receiving the nail blank, an indexing wheel disposed below the sorting member and having a number of nail blank holding grooves formed in the outer peripheral portion for stably and horizontally supporting the nail blank without complicated nail blank holders and retaining members and for allowing the nail blank to be effectively hammered or machined by a nail machining tool, and a driving device includes a spindle for moving the tool member to machine the nail blank, and for moving the cutting tools to cut the wire into the nail blank.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a nail manufacturing machine, and more particularly to a nail manufacturing machine including an indexing wheel for horizontally supporting the nail blanks and for allowing the nail blanks to be stably held in place and to be effectively hammered or machined or driven by the nail machining tool.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Typical nail manufacturing machines comprise a capstan for delivering wire to feed rolls which intermittently advance an end portion of the wire to a workstation for severing the wire and for forming a pointed nail blank, and an indexing wheel conveys successively formed nail blanks to a diametrically opposed workstation for heading the nail blanks and for forming the pointed nails.

For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,918,809 to Steinhilber discloses one of the typical nail making machines comprising an indexing wheel vertically and rotatably supported in a machine body and including an outer peripheral portion for receiving the end portion of the wire or for receiving the pointed nail blanks and for delivering the pointed nail blanks to a heading station for heading the nail blanks.

For stably supporting the pointed nail blanks in the outer peripheral portion of the indexing wheel, a number of nail blank holders and a number of holding posts and a number of spring-biased nail blank retaining members are required to be provided and disposed or engaged into the outer peripheral portion of the indexing wheel for engaging with the pointed nail blanks and for stably retaining the pointed nail blanks in the outer peripheral portion of the indexing wheel.

However, the nail blank holders and the holding posts and the spring-biased nail blank retaining members are complicated and may not be easily and quickly attached or assembled or mounted into the outer peripheral portion of the indexing wheel. In addition, the pointed nail blanks may not be stably supported and retained in the outer peripheral portion of the indexing wheel when the spring-biasing force of the spring-biased nail blank retaining members is decreased or when the spring-biased nail blank retaining members have become failed.

The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional nail making or manufacturing machines.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a nail manufacturing machine including an indexing wheel for horizontally supporting the nail blanks and for allowing the nail blanks to be stably held in place and to be effectively hammered or machined or driven by the nail machining tool.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a nail manufacturing machine comprising a machine table, two cutting tools slidably supported on the machine table and movable toward each other for cutting a wire into a nail blank, a sorting member including a channel formed therein for receiving and engaging with the nail blank, a delivering device disposed between the cutting tools and the sorting member for delivering the nail blank into the channel of the sorting member, an indexing wheel disposed below the sorting member, and including a number of nail blank holding grooves formed in an outer peripheral portion of the indexing wheel and parallel to the channel of the sorting member for selectively and horizontally receiving the nail blank from the channel of the sorting member, a nail machining tool slidably supported on the machine table and including a tool member movable toward the nail blank for machining the nail blank, and a driving device including a spindle rotatably supported on the machine table and coupled to the nail machining tool for moving the tool member of the nail machining tool toward the nail blank in order to machine the nail blank, and including two shafts supported on the machine table and coupled to the spindle and the cutting tools for moving the cutting tools toward each other in order to cut the wire into the nail blank and for allowing the nail blanks to be stably held in place and to be effectively hammered or machined or driven by the nail machining tool without complicated nail blank holders and retaining members.

The sorting member includes at least one notch formed in the sorting member and communicating with the channel of the sorting member for engaging with a stop, and the stop is used to engage with the nail blank for limiting the nail blank to move relative to the sorting member and for guiding the nail blank to move through the channel of the sorting member.

A carrier is further provided and slidably attached to the sorting member and includes at least one finger slidably engaged into the sorting member and extended across the channel of the sorting member for selectively engaging with the nail blank and for controlling the nail blank to move out through the channel of the sorting member.

A handle is further provided and rotatably attached to the sorting member and includes an extension for engaging with the carrier and for selectively disengaging the finger of the carrier from the channel of the sorting member and for allowing the nail blank to selectively move out through the channel of the sorting member and into the indexing wheel.

The carrier includes a curved slot formed therein and/or a cam member provided therein for engaging with the extension of the handle and for allowing the finger of the carrier to be selectively disengaged from the channel of the sorting member when the handle is rotated relative to the carrier.

The sorting member includes an inclined tray attached to one side portion for receiving and collecting the nail blank that may not be engaged into the channel of the sorting member. The indexing wheel includes a number of inserts engaged into the outer peripheral portion of the indexing wheel for forming the nail blank holding grooves.

A clamping member is further provided and slidably supported on the machine table and movable toward the indexing wheel for selectively engaging with the nail blank and for stably clamping and retaining the nail blank to the indexing wheel. The clamping member includes a recess formed therein for receiving and engaging with the nail blank and for clamping and retaining the nail blank in the indexing wheel.

An anvil is further provided and disposed close to the clamping member and the indexing wheel and disposed behind the nail blank for anchoring and positioning the nail blank and for allowing the nail blank to be machined by the nail machining tool. The driving device includes a pulley attached to the spindle, and the spindle is coupled to the shafts with bevel gears.

Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of the detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an upper and front perspective view of a nail manufacturing machine in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial upper and rear perspective view of the nail manufacturing machine;

FIG. 3 is a partial top plan schematic view of the nail manufacturing machine;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a cutting device of the nail manufacturing machine;

FIG. 5 is a partial upper and rear perspective view illustrating an indexing wheel and a heading device of the nail manufacturing machine;

FIG. 6 is another partial upper and rear perspective view as seen from the other angle of the indexing wheel and the heading device of the nail manufacturing machine;

FIG. 7 is a top plan schematic view of the indexing wheel and the heading device of the nail manufacturing machine;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged partial top plan schematic view of a nail blank sorting or feeding or delivering device of the nail manufacturing machine;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged perspective view illustrating the nail blank sorting or feeding or delivering device of the nail manufacturing machine;

FIG. 10 is a side plan schematic view illustrating the nail blank sorting or feeding or delivering device of the nail manufacturing machine;

FIG. 11 is a top plan schematic view illustrating the nail blank sorting or feeding or delivering device of the nail manufacturing machine;

FIG. 12 is a top plan schematic view similar to FIG. 11, illustrating the operation of the nail blank sorting or feeding or delivering device of the nail manufacturing machine;

FIG. 13 is a plan schematic view illustrating the nail blank sorting or feeding or delivering device and the indexing wheel and the heading device of the nail manufacturing machine;

FIG. 14 is another partial upper and rear perspective view similar to FIG. 5, illustrating the operation of the indexing wheel and the heading device of the nail manufacturing machine;

FIG. 15 is an enlarged partial upper and rear perspective view of the indexing wheel;

FIG. 16 is a partial side plan schematic view of the nail blank sorting or feeding or delivering device and the indexing wheel and the heading device of the nail manufacturing machine; and

FIG. 17 is an enlarged partial side plan schematic view illustrating the operation of the heading device of the nail manufacturing machine.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIGS. 1-3, a nail manufacturing machine 1 in accordance with the present invention comprises a machine table 10 including a front portion 11 having a horizontal feeding station 12 and a vertical feeding station 13 for engaging and for feeding a wire 14 into the nail manufacturing machine 1, and including a housing 15 disposed or engaged into the inner and lower portion of the machine table 10 for receiving and collecting the cut chips or dirt, and including a container 16 disposed or engaged into the inner and lower portion of the machine table 10 for receiving and collecting the pointed nails. A feeding device 20 is further provided and attached or disposed in front of the vertical feeding station 13 for receiving and feeding or delivering the wire 14 further forward into the nail manufacturing machine 1.

For example, the feeding device 20 includes one or more (such as two) gears or pulleys or wheels 21, 22 disposed in front of the vertical feeding station 13 for receiving and engaging with the wire 14 and for further feeding or delivering the wire 14 into the nail manufacturing machine 1, and includes a guiding member 23 disposed in front of the gears or pulleys or wheels 21, 22 and having a bore 24 formed in the guiding member 23 for receiving and guiding the wire 14 to move further forward into the nail manufacturing machine 1. A cutting device 30 is disposed in front of the guiding member 23 and includes two sliding members or bases 31, 32 slidably supported on the machine table 10 and each having a cutting tool 33, 34 (FIGS. 3, 4) attached or disposed on the bases 31, 32, and the cutting tools 33, 34 and the bases 31, 32 are movable toward each other for cutting the wire 14 into a nail blank 8 (FIGS. 5, 7-8, and 13-16).

Another feeding or delivering device 35 is further provided and attached or disposed in front of the cutting device 30, and includes one or more (such as four) rollers 36 (FIGS. 5, 14 and 16) for receiving and engaging with the nail blank 8 and for feeding or delivering the nail blank 8 further forward and toward or into a nail blank sorting device 4. As shown in FIGS. 1-3 and 5-14, the nail blank sorting device 4 includes a block or sorting member 40 having a channel 41 vertically formed in the sorting member 40 for receiving and engaging with the nail blank 8 from the nail blank feeding or delivering device 35 and for guiding or sending or delivering the nail blank 8 downwardly toward an indexing wheel 60, and having one or more notches 42 formed in the sorting member 40 and communicating with the channel 41 for engaging with a plug or stop 43 (FIG. 8).

As shown in FIGS. 5-8, the nail blank 8 sent or delivered from the nail blank feeding or delivering device 35 may be fed or sent or delivered or moved into the channel 41 of the sorting member 40 or of the nail blank sorting device 4, and the stop 43 may be used to engage with the nail blank 8 for limiting the nail blank 8 to move relative to the sorting member 40 and for suitably guiding the nail blank 8 to move downwardly through the channel 41 of the sorting member 40 and then to move toward or into the indexing wheel 60 which is disposed below the sorting member 40. Am inclined or tilted ramp or supporting tray 44 is attached or disposed on one side portion of the sorting member 40 for receiving and supporting or collecting the nail blanks 8 that may not be engaged into the channel 41 of the sorting member 40 or of the nail blank sorting device 4 (FIGS. 7, 8).

A carrier 50 is slidably attached or secured onto the other side portion of the sorting member 40 with one or more poles or rails 51, and includes one or more fingers 52 (FIGS. 11, 12) slidably engaged into the sorting member 40 and extended across or through the channel 41 of the sorting member 40 for selectively engaging with the nail blanks 8 and for guiding or sending or controlling the nail blanks 8 to move downwardly through the channel 41 of the sorting member 40 and then to selectively move toward or into the indexing wheel 60, and includes a curved slot 53 and/or a cam member 54. formed or provided thereon. A hand grip or handle 45 is rotatably attached or secured to the sorting member 40 with an axle 46, and includes an extension 47 extended downwardly therefrom (FIG. 13) for engaging with the curved slot 53 and/or the cam member 54 of the carrier 50 (FIGS. 11, 12) and for selectively moving or disengaging the fingers 52 of the carrier 50 from the channel 41 of the sorting member 40 (FIG. 12) and for allowing the nail blanks 8 to selectively move out through the channel 41 of the sorting member 40 and then to selectively move or engage into the indexing wheel 60.

As shown in FIGS. 5-8, and 13-17, the indexing wheel 60 includes a number of nail blank holding grooves 61 formed in the outer peripheral portion thereof and parallel to the channel 41 of the sorting member 40 for selectively aligning with the channel 41 of the sorting member 40 and for selectively receiving the nail blanks 8 from the channel 41 of the sorting member 40, and the indexing wheel 60 may include a number of pads or anvils or inserts 62 engaged into the outer peripheral portion of the indexing wheel 60 for partially forming the nail blank holding groove 61 and for stably receiving and retaining the nail blanks 8. Two clamping members 63, 64 are slidably supported on the machine table 10 and movable toward each other for selectively engaging with the indexing wheel 60 and for stably clamping and retaining the indexing wheel 60 in place.

As shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, the clamping member 64 may further include a recess 65 formed therein for receiving or engaging with the nail blanks 8 and for stably clamping and retaining the nail blanks 8 in the indexing wheel 60. As shown in FIGS. 3, 7 and 16, a pad or anvil 66 may further be provided and disposed close to the clamping member 64 and disposed close to the outer peripheral portion of the indexing wheel 60, or disposed behind the nail blank 8 that is engaged and clamped by the clamping member 64 for anchoring and positioning the nail blank 8 and for allowing the nail blank 8 to be hammered or machined or driven by a nail machining tool 70, best shown in FIG. 7. The nail machining tool 70 is slidably disposed in front of the nail blank 8 that is engaged and clamped by the clamping member 64, and includes a tool member 71 for being moved toward the nail blank 8 (FIG. 17) in order to machine or shape the nail blank 8, such as to form a head portion of a predetermined shape for the nail blank 8 in order to form the required pointed nail.

It is to be noted that the nail machining tool 70 may include a number of tool members 71 that may be changed with each other and that may be alternatively or selectively attached or assembled or mounted onto the nail machining tool 70 for machining or shaping different head portions for the nail blank 8. The cutting device 30 may also include a number of different cutting tools 33, 34 that may be changed with each other and that may be alternatively or selectively attached or assembled or mounted onto the bases 31, 32 of the cutting device 30 for machining or shaping different nail or tip or end portions for the nail blank 8. It is further to be noted that the nail blanks 8 may be horizontally and stably held in place and supported in the nail blank holding grooves 61 that are located in one of the two upper quarter portions of the indexing wheel 60, best shown in FIGS. 13-16.

Referring again to FIGS. 1-3, the machine table 10 includes a driving device 9 disposed or engaged onto the upper portion of the machine table 10, and the driving device 9 includes a spindle 91 rotatably attached or supported on the upper portion of the machine table 10, and includes a wheel or pulley 90 attached to one end portion of the spindle 91 for coupling to a motor driving facility (not shown) and for being driven or rotated by the motor driving facility, and includes two bevel gears 92, 93 attached to the spindle 91. Two shafts 94 are also rotatably attached or supported on the upper portion of the machine table 10 and meshed or coupled to or engaged with the bevel gears 92, 93 for allowing the shafts 94 to be driven or rotated by the spindle 91, and two axles 96 are rotatably attached or supported on the upper portion of the machine table 10 with arms 95 and coupled to the shafts 94 with chain-and-sprocket, pulley-and-belt, or gearing coupling device 97 for allowing the axles 96 to be driven or rotated by the spindle 91 and the shafts 94 of the driving device 9.

The driving device 9 further includes a crank or cam or actuating device 98 attached to the spindle 91 and coupled to the nail machining tool 70 for moving the tool member 71 toward the nail blank 8 (FIG. 17) in order to machine or shape the nail blank 8, such as to form the head portion for the nail blank 8 in order to form the required pointed nail; and further includes two cranks or cams or moving devices 99 attached to the axles 96 respectively and engaged with the bases 31, 32 of the cutting device 30 for moving the cutting tools 33, 34 of the bases 31, 32 toward each other in order to cut the wire 14 into the nail blank 8. The feeding device 20 may include another chain-and-sprocket, pulley-and-belt, or gearing coupling device 25 coupled to the axles 96 for allowing the wheels 21, 22 of the feeding device 20 to be driven or rotated by the spindle 91 and the axles 96.

Similarly, the nail blank feeding or delivering device 35 may also include a further chain-and-sprocket, pulley-and-belt, or gearing coupling device 37 (FIGS. 6, 13-14) coupled to the axles 96 or the shafts 94 for allowing the rollers 36 of the nail blank feeding or delivering device 35 to be driven or rotated by the spindle 91 and the axles 96 or the shafts 94. The indexing wheel 60 may also include a further chain-and-sprocket, pulley-and-belt, or gearing coupling device 67 (FIGS. 6-7, 13 and 16) coupled to the axles 96 or the shafts 94 for allowing the indexing wheel 60 to be driven or rotated by the spindle 91 and the axles 96 or the shafts 94. The clamping members 63, 64 may be coupled to the axles 96 or the shafts 94 with a still further chain-and-sprocket, pulley-and-belt, gearing coupling device, or crank device 68 (FIGS. 5-7 and 14) for allowing the clamping members 63, 64 to be moved toward each other for selectively engaging with the indexing wheel 60, such that the wheels 21, 22 of the feeding device 20, the bases 31, 32 of the cutting device 30, the rollers 36 of the nail blank feeding or delivering device 35, the indexing wheel 60, and the clamping members 63, 64 may all be actuated or operated with the spindle 91 of the driving device 9.

In operation, as shown in FIGS. 1-3, the wire 14 may be fed or sent or delivered out through the bore 24 of the guiding member 23 by the horizontal feeding station 12 and/or the vertical feeding station 13 and/or the wheels 21, 22 of the feeding device 20, and may then be cut into the nail blanks 8 with the cutting tools 33, 34 of the cutting device 30, the nail blanks 8 may then be fed or sent or delivered to the channel 41 of the sorting member 40 or of the nail blank sorting device 4 with the rollers 36 of the nail blank feeding or delivering device 35 (FIGS. 5-8), and the nail blanks 8 may then be selectively sent out through the channel 41 of the sorting member 40 and into the indexing wheel 60 with the fingers 52 of the carrier 50 and the handle 45 (FIGS. 11-12) and for allowing the nail blanks 8 to be horizontally and stably held and supported in the nail blank holding grooves 61 that are located in one of the two upper quarter portions of the indexing wheel 60 and for allowing the nail blanks 8 to be effectively machined or shaped by the tool members 71 of the nail machining tool 70.

It is to be noted that no complicated nail blank holders and holding posts and spring-biased nail blank retaining members are required to be provided and disposed or engaged or attached or assembled or mounted onto the outer peripheral portion of the indexing wheel 60 such that the manufacturing cost for the nail manufacturing machine may be decreased. In addition, the nail blanks 8 may be horizontally and stably held and supported in the nail blank holding grooves 61 of the indexing wheel 60 and will not be disengaged from the indexing wheel 60.

Accordingly, the nail manufacturing machine in accordance with the present invention includes an indexing wheel for horizontally supporting the nail blanks and for allowing the nail blanks to be stably held in place and to be effectively hammered or machined or driven by the nail machining tool.

Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example only and that numerous changes in the detailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed. 

1. A nail manufacturing machine comprising: a machine table, two cutting tools slidably supported on said machine table and movable toward each other for cutting a wire into a nail blank, a sorting member including a channel formed therein for receiving and engaging with the nail blank, a delivering device disposed between said cutting tools and said sorting member for delivering the nail blank into said channel of said sorting member, an indexing wheel disposed below said sorting member, and including a plurality of nail blank holding grooves formed in an outer peripheral portion of said indexing wheel and parallel to said channel of said sorting member for selectively and horizontally receiving the nail blank from said channel of said sorting member, a nail machining tool slidably supported on said machine table and including a tool member movable toward the nail blank for machining the nail blank, and a driving device including a spindle rotatably supported on said machine table and coupled to said nail machining tool for moving said tool member of said nail machining tool toward the nail blank in order to machine the nail blank, and including two shafts supported on said machine table and coupled to said spindle and said cutting tools for moving said cutting tools toward each other in order to cut the wire into the nail blank.
 2. The nail manufacturing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said sorting member includes at least one notch formed in said sorting member and communicating with said channel of said sorting member for engaging with a stop, and said stop is used to engage with the nail blank for limiting the nail blank to move relative to said sorting member and for guiding the nail blank to move through said channel of said sorting member.
 3. The nail manufacturing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein a carrier is slidably attached to said sorting member and includes at least one finger slidably engaged into said sorting member and extended across said channel of said sorting member for selectively engaging with the nail blank and for controlling the nail blank to move out through said channel of said sorting member.
 4. The nail manufacturing machine as claimed in claim 3, wherein a handle is rotatably attached to said sorting member and includes an extension for engaging with said carrier and for selectively disengaging said at least one finger of said carrier from said channel of said sorting member and for allowing the nail blank to selectively move out through said channel of said sorting member and into said indexing wheel.
 5. The nail manufacturing machine as claimed in claim 4, wherein said carrier includes a curved slot formed therein for engaging with said extension of said handle.
 6. The nail manufacturing machine as claimed in claim 4, wherein said carrier includes a cam member provided therein for engaging with said extension of said handle.
 7. The nail manufacturing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said sorting member includes a tray attached to one side portion for receiving and collecting the nail blank that may not be engaged into said channel of said sorting member.
 8. The nail manufacturing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said indexing wheel includes a plurality of inserts engaged into said outer peripheral portion of said indexing wheel for forming said nail blank holding grooves.
 9. The nail manufacturing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein a clamping member is slidably supported on said machine table and movable toward said indexing wheel for selectively engaging with the nail blank and for stably clamping and retaining the nail blank to said indexing wheel.
 10. The nail manufacturing machine as claimed in claim 9, wherein said clamping member includes a recess formed therein for receiving and engaging with the nail blank and for clamping and retaining the nail blank in said indexing wheel.
 11. The nail manufacturing machine as claimed in claim 9, wherein an anvil is disposed close to said clamping member and said indexing wheel and disposed behind the nail blank for anchoring and positioning the nail blank and for allowing the nail blank to be machined by said nail machining tool.
 12. The nail manufacturing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said driving device includes a pulley attached to said spindle, and said spindle is coupled to said shafts with bevel gears. 